"I was naughty in childhood ... now also am naughty" -- Rukshana

"I was naughty in childhood ... now also am naughty" -- Rukshana

It is tele-actress Rukshana Dissanayaka who joined this time with GossipLanka video feature which brings memories of schooldays ... 'Back to school'. Following are the details provided by her:

* What is the name of your school?

  I first went to Sujatha Vidyalaya, Nugegoda. After that, Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo.

* Can you remember the first day you entered first year?

  Can remember a little ... no big memory as such.

* Did mother and father accompany you?

  Yes ... went with both mother and father.

* Did you cry that day?

  No ... I am not supposed to have cried even when going to Montessori. 

* Then do you remember features of the teacher in year 1 or her name?

  Yes ... can remember her features. Can remember the name also very well. Weerakkody teacher.

* Who is the best friend of yours in year 1?

  My best friend was Sachini. After that from 1 to year 5 she was my best friend. 

* Do you remember the marks you got at year 5 scholarship?

  169.

* What did your home-people give you when you got through the scholarship?

  They gave something ...  but can't remember as such. May have given something big. 

* Were you involved in games while in school?

  Yes, I played a lot of games ... more bent on sports. 

* Were you a naughty character from year 1 to year 5?

  Yes ... I was naughty in my small days. After that also was naughty. Still naughty. That naughtiness was there from year 1 till year 13.There was nothing lacking in that.

* Is there any unforgettable incident in your childhood where you were involved in with a friend?

  I have no big memory about such an incident from 1 to 5 as such ... small days, no. But was a popular character as a naughty child.

* Have you been to the principal some day ... having done something wrong?

  Haven't gone to the principal for big offences. Have had to go for having played during a subject. No .. no .. in the case of big blunders ... did not go ... was not caught for such things. 

* When talking about O/L days ... what was the subject that you liked most?

  It was commerce.

* Then, can you remember your O/L results?

  Yes ... A6, 3Cs. 

* The most despised subject in O/L?

  English literature.

* Then, have you cut periods in school?

  Yes ... to a large extent. Have cut periods normally, from year 6 to year 11. After that ... not during A/L time. Focused on studies and stuck to it on that basis.

* Now if you bring to memory something naughty that you did with friends during O/L time?

  Have done a lot of things at O/L time. Used to act for advertisements during the interval. Used to get on top of desks and play drums ... such a loud noise. Even when interval was over ... fail to realise that interval was over. Studies have begun in other classrooms ... our teacher had come and after giving a good blagarding asks the culprits to kneel. So there are nice, nice things! To cut classes ... would creep into the washroom. Have done enough of naughty things. 

* Where did you go for tuition classes during O/L time?

  For tuition classes I went to Sathara at Maharagama. After that went for an English class. Didn't go for many classes for O/L. 

* Did you have any romance during schooldays?

  Had a romance during A/L and O/L time ... started in year 12 and after that it was all over by the time schooling was over.

* Have any nickname friends called you in school?

  Most of them used to call me Ruki ... even from those days ... from my small time. After that, various names used to come at various times, no. At A/L time of course ... was called 'omlata' ... various names are called. 

* Have you cut school at O/L times?

  At O/L time have never cut classes. At O/L time on one occasion when there was no class .. went somewhere to some small place ... to eat and drink. It is for such things that most people like, no. So went to a place like that. Other than that, was scared of cutting a class because mother used to come and pick me up. So must definitely be in the class. 

* Then you are more scared of the mother or father?

  Mother.

* Talking about A/L ... what did you select for A/L?

  I did Arts for A/L. That means, Dancing, Sihala, Lgic.

* Remember A/L results?

  A2, B1.

  Any unforgettable memory during A/L time?

  No big mischievous thing during A/L time. There are number of occasions of having got caught eating on the sly. Have got embarrassed. It was to eat that we liked during small days. After that, sleep. Things like those. So would put a nap during the Sinhala period, definitely. Teacher can't see ... teacher is short. So we used to take turns in sleeping. One day one used to nap and the other day another would sleep. We used to keep the bag in front. We hardly hear what teacher says .. so would nap peacefully. It's double periods we used to have most of the time. After that when over an hour passes; would call, get up, say 'ayubowan' and go away. So that was how life was. 

* Was much influence exerted on you where your studies were concerned?

  No. never were instructions made saying this must be done, it should happen this way on the part of my mother .. at all, ever. What she says is, do what you like. She of course helped me always. It was she who taught me and it was she who coaxed me up even for the scholarship. It was she who taught me maths upto O/L. What she says is to do what she likes .. in the proper way. I was not made to worry in a big way as such. When studying ... what she says is to do it correctly. 

* Have you been a prefect in school?

  Prefect means ... not the way we call prefect. Was a house captain ... for two years.

* Do you remember the last day in A/L class?

  Yes ... I remember. 

* How was that day?

  Very sad. We even cried that day. After that we brought a frock and autographed it ... even teachers autographed it. Very absorbing. So many elaborate things were written. It is still there. When I see it ... can't even stop laughing. So many designs were sketched with red pens and blue pens and various beautiful things were drawn with flowers drawn on that frock. It indeed was a memorable thing. 

* What are your latest news these days?

  These days I an engaged in three tele-dramas. Hoping to engage in a new one. So those are the news. 

* What do you feel about 'Back to School' programme?

  Beautiful programme. Thanks for the invitation. Took me away to a distant place ... to the past. When recalling the past ... that itself is nice ... charming. Everybody's schooldays are delightful, no. It was life of freedom. Not like these days; less problems. So when thinking about it ... get a lovely feeling ... a feeling of warmth.

Discussion -- Janani Tharushika